The present invention presents methods and means of generating electricity from roadways and pavements using multiple sources of wasted power. One of the major aspects of this invention is the design and development of new materials and their integrated material structures called Photo-Piezo-Thermo-Voltaics (PPTV) as their material structures required for more efficient harvesting of multiple sources of wasted power on the roadways and pavements. Applications of these PPTV materials are not only applied to roadways and pavements but also proposed for current and future energy harvesting needs using multiple sources namely light, heat, pressure, mechanical, wind, ocean waves, and other forms of energy .
The invention enables almost steady electricity generation throughout the day and night, as it uses mechanical energy and pressure exerted on the roadways by the vehicles, in addition to the solar energy wasted on the roadways and pavements, and also from the heat generated from various energy sources. This invention relies on running vehicles and hence is more efficient during peak traffic hours, and also relies on sun light and hence is more efficient at peak sunlight hours.
The peak value of solar energy falling on the earth's surface is approximately 1 k Watt per square meter. At the current efficiency levels, photovoltaic (PV) solar cells can generate 150 Watts per square meter in direct sunlight which is about 15W per square foot. Adding other forms of energy wasted on the roadways and pavements to the solar energy it is possible to generate enormous amount of electricity on the roadways and pavements which can be used to light nearby areas, to power the electric cars of the future and to build smart roads that function with this harvested and stored energy.
Design and Fabrication of new innovative hybrid materials and design of their material structures called Photo-Piezo-Thermo-Voltaics (PPTV), which are also subject matter of this invention, multiple sources of energy can be harvested efficiently. This invention is also includes a novel design of the integrated power generation system that has number of capabilities to collect, add, convert, store, transport, and use the electricity generated in the roads and pavements.
The inventor estimates that this integrated approach will result in a highly efficient energy harvesting system that will generate 3 to 4 times more electricity per square foot than conventional solar panels. This is possible due to several energy sources namely, solar, mechanical, pressure, heat, thermal gradients and light instead of one. The novel PPTV materials and their structures, are crucial in enabling the integration of these energy sources.
Simple calculations performed by the inventor shows that, using less than 10 percent of the roadways in the US, it would be possible to generate the electricity required for the entire United States of America, including running large number of battery-operated vehicles and providing power for smart roadways of the future. The vehicle batteries will be charged using the harvested electricity on roadways and by building battery storage and replacement stations alongside the roadways, another feature of this invention.